'SAARC meet would focus on evolving strategy to combat terrorism'

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday said the SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Colombo next month would focus on evolving a combined strategy to combat terrorism.

All SAARC countries would discuss and develop a new combined strategy to combat terrorism at the summit to be held from August 2-3, Rajapakse, who was here to worship at the Lord Venkateswara shrine, told reporters here. He said elaborate security measures would be made for the summit but at the same time some VVIPs would attend the summit with their own security personnel.

Recent reports said Indian security personnel would provide security cover for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Colombo to attend the summit.

Rebutting criticism on allowing security personnel from other countries, Rajapaksa said he has come to Tirupati with his own security men even though heavy security arrangements had been made by the Indian government.

Rajapaksa described India as a great developing country and Sri Lanka maintained relations with it on all fronts.

On the LTTE, Rajapakse said that his government was firmly committed to holding talks with the LTTE provided they give up arms. He charged the Tamil militant group for indulging in terrorist activities killing "tens of thousands of innocent people"

Ever since Rajapksa became President in November 2005, his government has held peace talks with LTTE but during the ceasefire too the LTTE started indulging in killings in the Island putting a question mark on the credibility of the peace talks, Rajapaksa said.

During his two-day stay here, he visited the temple and later left for Bangalore.

Source: Hindu